LEONAKD PLUKENET. 339 



fixed upon the year 1642 as the date of his bh*th ; but we are now 

 able to get much nearer to the true date, for the registers above 

 mentioned, under date of January 4th, 1641-2, contain this 

 baptismal entry : — " Leonard Pluclmett, s. to Eobt. by Elizabeth 

 his wife," Following entries of his brothers and sisters are 

 these : — 



1643. Oct. 25. Eobert Plucknett 



1645. Dec. 27. Eliz. Plucknett .... 



1651. June 13. Eobt. Plucknett 



1653. Sept. 27. Ahce Plucknett 



The large number of entries of the family of Plucknet, 

 Plucknett, Plukenett, or Plukenet, as they varied the spelling, 

 makes it somewhat puzzling to unravel the collateral relationships, 

 which indeed, for our purpose, it is hardly worth our while to do. 

 Amongst the 67 extracts which Mr. Noble's assiduity has 

 placed in my hands, I find that the second Eobert Plucknett was 

 buried July 1st, 1651, followed by Alice, April 3rd, 1654. 



Of Leonard Plukenet's early life and education we know prac- 

 tically nothing. Pulteney suggests Cambridge as the scene of his 

 University training, but the matriculation lists of that time do not 

 contain his name. Plukenet himself indeed mentions Mr. Willam 

 Courten and Dr. Uvedale, of Enfield, as his fellow pupils, but as 

 we are ignorant of their early lives we are not thereby greatly 

 assisted in our quest. Both Courten and Uvedale were amongst 

 Sloane's friends, and their collections are to be seen in the volumes 

 constituting the Sloane Herbaria. His degree of M.D. was probably 

 taken at some foreign university, and he probably did not practise 

 in England, since we do not find his name in Munk's Eoll of the 

 College of Physicians, as would almost certainly be the case were 

 he seriously prosecuting his medical profession. 



The Sloane MSS. are of very little service in throwing any 

 light upon Plukenet's life ; it is known, however, that in 1672 or 

 thereabouts he was living in St. Margaret's Lane, near Old Palace 

 Yard, Westminster, where he seems to have dwelt all his life. The 

 attachment of the Plukenet family to St. Margaret's parish is 

 certainly curious. The supposition that our author was in straitened 

 circumstances is not borne out by the abstract of the will which is 

 given hereafter ; he was clearly in sufficiently easy circumstances 

 to allow him to apply himself to botany with entire devotion, and 

 also to provide for his children. When he was married I do not 

 know, but the baptismal entries as to his twelve children are as 

 under : — 



1670-1. March 7. Eliz. Plucknet d. to Lennord by Letitia. 

 1672. Nov. 7. ffrances Plucknett d. to Lennord by Leticie. 



1674. April 19. Leticie Plucknett d. to Lennord by Leticie. 



1675. May 3. Isabella Plucknett d. to Leonard by Letitia. 



1676. August 11. Leonard Plukenett s. to Len : by Letitia. 

 1677-8. Jan. 8. Eobt. Plukenett son to Len. by Letitia. 



1680. Nov. 7. Alan Plucknett s. to Len : by Letitia. 



1681. Dec. 22. Elizabeth Pluknett d. to Dr. Leon : by Letitia. 

 1683-4. Jan. 18. Sophia Plukenett d. to Dr. Leonard by Letitia. 



